A Cinderella Story
by Nibiru-Mul
Summary: FerrisWheelShipping story of Cinderella. Hilda is a girl mistreated by her arrogant stepmother. But, with the help of her Pidove friends and a magical talking tree, she gets to go to the ball to meet Prince N. Based on the version from the old anime Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics.
1. Part 1

_**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own Pokemon or most of the characters in the story. They are property of Nintendo._

_This is based not on Disney's Cinderella, but Grimm's Fairy Tales Classics' version. GFTC was an anime made in the 80s by Nippon Animation. Their version of Cinderella was based on the German version instead of the French version. In this one, Cinderella has a tree instead of a fairy godmother, and the slippers are gold instead of glass. The video is available in five parts on YouTube. I like it as much as the Disney version (though Tatsunoko Productions' Cinderella is better than both of them, but that's a full series of 26 episodes, so I settled for this instead)._

_If you've watched that version, please tell me!_

* * *

**THE**** ESTATE OF NIBIRU-MUL PRESENTS**

**CINDERELLA **

**CAST:**

Cinderella - Hilda

Wicked Stepmother - Hall Matron Argenta

Stepsister 1 - May

Stepsister 2 - Dawn

Prince - N

King - Steven Stone

Queen - Cynthia

King's advisor - Wallace

Guards - Cilan, Chili, Cress

Woodsman - Chuck

Pigeons - Hilbert and Bianca

* * *

**PART I**

Once upon a time, there was a peaceful little kingdom. Well, usually it was peaceful. This morning, however, there was a great commotion at the royal palace. For today is the Prince's 20th birthday. His father, King Steven, did not want anyone to forget it. Steven was a very hot-tempered king who wanted what was best for his son.

"GUARDS! GUARDS!" yelled King Steven. "Come here! With your laziness, you're making your king very angry!"

The guards, whose names were Cilan, Chili, and Cress, went up to him.

"Where is my Captain of the Guard?" asked King Steven.

"He's still in bed," said Cilan. Indeed, it was early in the morning.

"And my servants and ministers?" asked King Steven.

"They're all still in bed as well," said Chili.

"Then who's gonna make me breakfast?" asked King Steven, losing his patience.

"The royal cook is asleep too, Your Majesty," said Cress.

King Steven put his hands on all of them and shook them.

"WHAT IF MY PALACE CAME UNDER ATTACK?" shouted the King. "I'm not going to fight them off with pillows, you morons."

But then, the king's wife, Queen Cynthia, walked over. She was a lot more patient than her husband.

"Excuse me darling," said Queen Cynthia, "will you please stop bellowing? Of course everyone's still in bed! Why, it isn't even daylight yet!"

"Where's the prince?" asked King Steven.

"Sleeping, like any normal person." said Queen Cynthia. "And may I remind you, he's our son."

"Doesn't he know this is his birthday?" asked King Steven. "Wake him up!"

"Don't shout at me, dear," said Queen Cynthia. "Why must you always be such a bully?"

"I don't care," said King Steven. "Doesn't he know the royal ball is this afternoon?"

"Well," said Queen Cynthia, "wouldn't N rather do anything else besides attend this silly affair? This is just for you to gain publicity! He doesn't even know how to dance, but you insist on holding a birthday ball for him!"

"He won't have to dance," said King Steven. "He'll just have to flirt?"

"What silly plan are you coming up with?" asked Queen Cynthia. "I want to know right now!"

"I want him to find a bride," said King Steven.

"But he's still young," said Queen Cynthia.

"I just want some grandchildren," said King Steven. "I mean, surely you want them just as much as I do? Then stop complaining!" He started to dance with his wife, but she had no idea what he was doing.

"We'll be thinking of names," he said as he danced. Queen Cynthia was getting dizzy.

"You're making me dizzy," said Queen Cynthia.

"Dizzy!" said King Steven. "That's a possibility! King Dizzy the First!"

The king continued to dance with his wife.

Meanwhile, across town, there was a mansion where a wealthy aristocrat lived. Argenta Pompadour was her name. She had two daughters, May and Dawn. She also had a stepdaughter, Hilda. Argenta was incredibly mean, bossy, and shrewish, and she treated Hilda like a slave. May and Dawn were mean as well, and they always fought with each other. Hilda was forced to wear rags and sleep on the floor and to do endless chores.

"Hilda!" yelled Argenta. "You are to come into the house this instant!"

Meanwhile, Hilda's Pidove friends, Hilbert and Bianca, were talking. Hilbert had brown hair and wore a red and white baseball cap and Bianca had blonde hair and a green hat.

"I wonder if poor Hilda's still asleep," said Hilbert.

"She was up doing needlework for half the night," said Bianca.

"Sleeping late as usual, I see," said Argenta.

Inside the house, May and Dawn were fighting over a pearl necklace.

"Mother!" said Dawn. "May won't give me back my pearls!"

"They're mine!" said May. "Let go or I'll teach you a lesson!"

"Be quiet, girls!" said Argenta. After she leaves, May and Dawn pull apart the necklace.

Let's look at Hilda. She is sleeping by the fireplace. She is wearing a ragged brown dress that she wears every day. She has no shoes.

"Hilda! Hilda!" said Hilbert.

"Your stepmother is calling you," said Bianca. "Time to wake up!"

Hilda woke up and looked out the window.

"Good Morning!" said the Pidove.

"How awful," said Hilda, getting up. "I slept through half the morning!" She got up and went outside. "Thank you so much for getting me up!"

"Good morning, Hilda," said Hilbert. "It's a lovely day."

"Yes, but how could have I overslept?" said Hilda.

"My goodness," said Bianca. "If they're going to keep you up late into the night, they can't expect you to be up at the crack of dawn?"

"Once those silly stepsisters of yours have gone to the ball, you'll be able to take a rest," said Hilbert. (Cut to May and Dawn throwing a tantrum over the pearls.)

"I am looking forward to relaxing a bit," said Hilda.

But then, Argenta came out of the house. She was wearing a fancy yellow dress.

"Already planning your lunch break?" she said coldly.

"Oh," said Hilda, looking at Argenta. "Good morning, Stepmother!"

"Good afternoon is more like it," said Argenta, approaching Hilda. "You're the laziest girl! And when were you planning to make our breakfast?"

"Right away, Ma'am," said Hilda.

And so Hilda went about doing her morning chores for her angry stepmother. As usual, she managed to find some cheer in it despite the unfairness of it. Her little friends could not understand how she could remain so happy in the face of such cruelty.

Hilda was cleaning up her stepsisters' room.

"Honestly, Hilda," said Bianca, "I don't get how you put up with this treatment."

"It's not so bad," said Hilda. "They give me a place to sleep."

"Can you imagine those foolish stepsisters at the ball?" asked Hilbert. "What if they have a fistfight in the middle of the ballroom?"

"I don't understand how they could invite those two stepsisters and not Hilda," said Bianca.

"Don't be silly," said Hilda. "That ball is the most exciting thing that's ever happened to them. They've been getting ready for days! Look how long it took to make May's dress. I was so relieved to finish."

Bianca looked at May's green dress and Dawn's blue dress.

"It's a shame you won't get to wear it," said Bianca. "Imagine how beautiful you'd look!"

"Right," said Hilbert. "If she wore that dress to the palace, she'd be the belle of the ball!"

"Stop it!" said Hilda. "I'm not going to the palace and that's that! And please get off the dresses! I don't want them ruined!" The Pidove got off the dresses. "Stepmother's already furious with me."

And surely enough, the old harpy could not keep quiet.

"Hilda, where are you?" she yelled. "The girls are waiting to get their hair done!"

"Coming, Stepmother!" said Hilda.

"HURRY UP!" snapped Argenta. "We don't have all day."

Hilda left the room. After she left, Hilbert and Bianca talked.

"She sounded angry," said Hilbert.

"No, she's sad," said Bianca. "About not being able to go to the ball. It's a shame. Every girl in the kingdom is invited. And Hilda doesn't have a dress to wear, so she'll have to stay home while those horrible stepsisters May and Dawn get to go to the ball."

Let's look at the sisters. They were wearing their dresses. Hilda is helping out.

"How does this dress look?" Dawn asked her mother.

"It suits your figure very well," said Argenta. "Every man will be flattered."

"Just as long as they don't see that face of yours," said May.

"You'll have to eat those words when you see me waltzing with Prince N," said Dawn.

"It would be lovely," said Hilda.

"Poor Dawn, you silly thing," said May. "When the prince gets a good look at me, he won't have time for anyone else! He wouldn't dance with a bag of bones like you."

"Stop it!" said Argenta.

While this was going on, Hilda imagined herself waltzing with Prince N. Hilda was wearing a pretty pale pink dress. Prince N, with his long green hair, was dressed in a blue suit. The two danced elegantly. But then she bumped into her stepmother.

"Excuse me, Stepmother," said Hilda.

"You're behaving like a foolish dreamer," said Argenta.

May and Dawn laughed at Hilda.

"It's so funny watching someone dancing with themselves," said May.

"Sorry," said Hilda. "My mind was drifting off."

"Of course, imagined yourself waltzing at the ball," said May.

"And I suppose everyone was impressed with your shabby dress and dirty face," said Dawn. The girls laughed.

"And you found a prince," said May. "The prince of chimney sweeps?"

Hilda then had an idea. She wanted to go to the ball.

"May I come to the ball?" she asked glowingly.

"HUH?" said the stepsisters.

"I wanna come along too," said Hilda. "Please, Stepmother? Let me come too?"

Argenta was disgusted with this.

"Absolutely out of the question!" she snapped.

"But Stepmother," said Hilda. "The invitation said that every young unmarried woman may come to the ball."

"I'm sure the invitation wasn't meant to include any homely little dirty-faced washerwoman who is foolish enough to put herself on equal footing with her betters," said Argenta. "Of all the nerve! Listen to me carefully, Hilda. When your parents died, I took you in and gave you a place to sleep and food to eat, and all I've ever had was laziness and complaints! Remember, I took you out of the gutter and I can put you back."

"Forgive me, Stepmother," said Hilda. "I'm very grateful for all you've done."

"Well you can show me by being a bit more obedient," said Argenta.

"Yes," said Hilda, "I'm sorry I spoke out."

"Come along, girls," Argenta said to her daughters. "Our carriage is waiting." Argenta's daughters left, while Argenta turned to Hilda. "Hilda, I want this house perfectly cleaned - I'm tired of your laziness, you ungrateful girl! And put your ridiculous idea of attending the ball out of your mind once and for all!"

Argenta left the room. She and her daughters went to their carriage and left for the ball. Hilda just stood there and sighed.


	2. Part 2

**PART II**

Meanwhile, in the palace, Prince N was being bathed by servants. He sat in the bathtub while a servant dumped water on him. Prince N was somewhat rebellious. He and his father often did not see eye to eye.

"I'm warning you, Father!" said Prince N. "This little scheme of yours will never work. I'm not even thinking of getting married yet!" He had hot water poured on. "OW! THAT'S HOT!"

"Why is everyone in this family defying me?" asked King Steven. "I'm only thinking about their futures!"

"I think I'll go enjoy the circus," said Prince N.

"The circus?" asked King Steven. "If you run away from this, I'll have you arrested and jailed!"

"I don't know what that would be like," said Prince N, "but I think I'd prefer it to this."

"I suppose you'd rather watch your father be made a fool," said King Steven.

"Well..." said Prince N.

King Steven walked up to his guards.

"Guards!" he said. "Keep an eye on Prince N. Don't take your eyes off of him for a second!" He walked out of the bathroom, telling the guards that the prince was under house arrest for the time being.

"What a wonderful birthday," said Prince N.

Meanwhile, at Hilda's house, Hilbert and Bianca were watching the carriage leave from the tree.

"There they go at last," said Hilbert. "I hope they have fun dancing with each other, since I doubt anyone else will."

Bianca turned to the door, where she saw Hilda.

"Poor Hilda," she said.

"You were right about her," said Hilbert. "She obviously wants to go to the ball very much."

"It's not fair," said Bianca.

"There must be some way to help her," said Hilbert.

"But she doesn't have a thing to wear to the palace," said Bianca.

"Yes, I suppose that is a problem," said Hilbert.

"Well if she had a beautiful gown, that would at least be a beginning," said Bianca.

Suddenly, the two Pidove heard a voice.

"A ballgown?" it said.

Hilbert and Bianca were startled.

"WHAT?" said Hilbert. He turned to the tree. "Excuse me, but is that you talking?"

"Well who else would it be?" said the tree.

Hilbert and Bianca flew back to the pigeon coop, where the other Pidove were talking.

"That tree did speak to me," said Bianca. "I heard it, so I'm not imagining things."

"Well," said the tree. "The wind has blown many things into my branches over the years. I might have just what you're looking for."

Skyla, another one of the Pidove, spoke up.

"Look, the tree's moving!" said Skyla.

The tree started shaking and out of its branches came a beautiful dress.

"Oh, look at that lovely gown!" said Bianca. "A beautiful dress is coming out! Our wishes have come true!"

The dress fell out of the tree. It was a pink dress with plenty of lace yellow ribbon on the front.

"How wonderful!" said Bianca. She led the other Pidove to pick up the dress. "What a glorious gown! Hilda will be the most beautiful girl at the ball!"

The Pidove flew inside with the dress and showed it to Hilda, who was scrubbing the floor.

"Hilda! Hilda!"

"Hilda," said Bianca, "I have a wonderful surprise for you!"

Hilda looked up and saw the dress.

"What a beautiful dress," said Hilda. "Are you sure it's meant for me?"

"Of course it is," said Bianca. "Who else would it be meant for? Now hurry up and try it on!"

"It's too wonderful for words!" said Hilda. The Pidove gave the dress to Hilda.

Hilbert flew back to the tree.

"Thanks for lending the dress, Mr. Tree," said Hilbert. "It was very kind of you."

"I'd appreciate it if you kept this a secret," said the tree.

"I can understand you don't want this to get around," said Hilbert. "Say, can we return the dress after the ball?"

"Yes," said the tree. "I think it would be best if you did!"

"Let's see what else I can find up here," said the tree. He shook and out came gold slippers and a necklace.

"That should do it!" said Hilbert.

Meanwhile, Hilda had put on the dress.

"It's splendid!" said Hilda. "It's like a dream come true! I've never worn anything so wonderful in my life!"

"Let's see how it will look when you dance," said Bianca.

Hilda started to dance around.

"I can't believe I'm going to be dancing at the royal palace!" said Hilda.

"Wait!" said Hilbert, who was flying in with the heavy shoes and necklace. He gave Hilda the gold slippers and the necklace. Hilda put them on.

"Thank you!" said Hilda. "What pretty shoes!"

"Hurry!" said Bianca. "There's no time to waste!"

Hilda left the house and got on a Zebstrika that was standing outside.

"Be careful of your stepmother," said Hilbert. "Don't let her see you and try to get back before she does!"

"Don't worry!" said Hilda. "I'll make sure I'm back before dark!"

"We hope you have a marvelous time," said Hilbert.

"I will," said Hilda.

"Bye!" said the Pidove.

Hilda rode out from her home.

Meanwhile, Argenta and her daughters were waiting in a crowd in front of a palace.

"What a mob!" said Argenta. "If you ask me, there are far too many unmarried women in this kingdom!"

"At this rate, we'll be unmarried old women by the time we arrive at the palace," said Dawn.

"There will be such a crowd, we won't even see the prince, let alone dance with him," said May.

"Calm down, girls," said Argenta. "I'm sure only a select group of women would be allowed into the ball, and that includes us."

Meanwhile, at the ball, Prince N was bored. King Steven told his advisor, Wallace, to yell in the boy's ear to wake up. He wasn't interested in looking at all the people dancing and enjoying a good time. And the ladies were excited to see the prince.

Eventually, Argenta and her daughters came up to the prince. Cheren, one of the servants, greeted them.

"Your Highness," he said. "I wish to present Argenta Pompadour and her two daughters, May and Dawn."

N found these girls least interesting.

"My daughters are thrilled to make your acquaintance," said Argenta. "I'm afraid the feeling will be mutual."

May and Dawn approached the prince.

"Don't be so pushy!" said Dawn, shoving May.

"Stop it!" said May, shoving Dawn. "Get out of my way!"

The girls kept trying to trip each other as they approached. They began to fight.

In the meantime, Hilda was in the palace gardens. She was looking inside.

"Oh, it's wonderful!" said Hilda. "But the question is if I'm going to be brave enough to go in there by myself?"

Hilda kept waiting for a while, but then she nearly fell asleep. Prince N had slipped away from the ball as King Steven and Queen Cynthia were distracted. He walked through the gardens, looking for a way to escape. Then, all of a sudden, he stumbled upon Hilda and tripped over her.

Prince N turned around and saw Hilda.

"Sorry," said Prince N. "I was planning my escape, but I didn't expect to see a young lady in the midst of the palace gardens."

Hilda looked at Prince N and laughed. "Yes," she said. "I must be awfully foolish coming all the way to the royal ball to fall asleep. How embarrassing!"

"Don't be embarrassed," said Prince N. "I only wish I was able to take a nap whenever I felt like it. I absolutely hate these dances. I would rather do just about anything than go to them."

"Why do you hate them?" asked Hilda.

"Between you and me," said Prince N, "I don't know how to dance. This is our secret."

"I find that hard to believe," said Hilda.

"Most of the time," said Prince N, "I pretend that the entire affair and everyone there is boring me to tears. I put my head back and my eyes like this." N made a bored look. "Sometimes, it works and I really do fall asleep."

"Really?" said Hilda.

"Oh yeah," said Prince N. "I'm afraid they're going to discover that I can't dance a step. Think of how embarrassing that would be...hey, what are you doing?"

Hilda was lifting Prince N up and started to dance.

"Don't be frightened," said Hilda. "I just want to see if you're telling me the truth or not. Come on, get up. Here we go!"

"Believe me," said Prince N, "I can't dance a step."

"Then it's fortunate that you bumped into me," said Hilda. "Just follow my lead and I'll teach you everything you'll need to know about dancing!"

"Alright," said Prince N, "but I'm warning you, I'll step all over your feet."

"Now let your body go and listen to the music," said Hilda.

The two were dancing pretty well. Prince N fumbled, but Hilda told him to relax more.

"Say," said Prince N, "this isn't so terrible. I can really begin to enjoy this!"

Hilda and Prince N danced away for quite a while.

"You're a very sweet woman," said Prince N. "Most of the young women I know wouldn't like a man who didn't know how to dance."

Hilda laughed. "But you DO know how to dance!" she said.

"I do?" asked Prince N.

"Yes," said Hilda.

"You mean that's all there is to it?" asked Prince N. "That I actually know how to dance?"

"Indeed you do," said Hilda. "I'm sure the prince himself couldn't do better!"

"Yeah," said Prince N. "I heard the prince is a terrible dancer."

Inside, Wallace had some news for King Steven.

"The prince is dancing with a young lady," said Wallace.

"Is she of noble blood?" asked King Steven.

"I don't know," said Wallace.

"Well find out!" said King Steven.

Back in the garden, Hilda and the prince were dancing. Little did they know, Argenta had entered the garden.

"You have a natural gift for dancing," said Hilda. "There isn't anything else I could teach you."

"Oh no," said Prince N. "You're wrong. There is something more you can teach me."

"What?" asked Hilda.

"It's something simple," said Prince N. "I'd be eternally grateful if you told me your name."

"Why on earth would you want to know that?" laughed Hilda.

"I want to engrave it in my heart forever!" said Prince N.

Suddenly, Hilda was shocked.

"You mustn't say that, even in jest!" said Hilda.

"What's wrong?" asked Prince N.

"Nothing," said Hilda. "I had no right to come here. I must go home."

"You can't be leaving!" said Prince N.

"I must! Goodye!" said Hilda, who broke free from the prince and ran off.

Argenta had seen Hilda. She was stunned.

"It's impossible!" she said. "It can't be her!"

"Please, come back!" said Prince N. "If I said anything wrong, I'm sorry!"

"Thank you for the dance in the garden!" said Hilda. "I enjoyed it very much!"

"Please wait!" said Prince N. "At least let me escort you home."

"I'll never forget this day as long as I live," said Hilda. "Goodbye!" She got on her Zebstrika and rode off.

Wallace was waiting outside the palace.

"Wait my lady, wait!" he said. "You can't go yet!" But the Zebstrika nudged him away.

After Hilda had left, the prince rode out on his Zebstrika.

"Follow her, Your Majesty!" said Wallace.

"Get on," said Prince N.

Prince N and Wallace rode off.

Hilda rode through the forest, looking nervous as she went. She heard the prince from behind, but she didn't see him. She was very frantic as she left. She even lost one of her gold slippers.

Later, Wallace got knocked off of the Zebstrika and found the gold slipper.

At last, Hilda had reached her house. The Pidove greeted her. They took her dress as she changed back into her ragged clothes.

Eventually, the prince lost track of her. But he did reach her house.

"Where'd she go?" he asked.

At the same time, Argenta had come home. When she noticed Prince N's Zebstrika, she went out to greet him.

"Welcome to my humble home," said Argenta.

"Greetings," said Prince N. "I came for a young lady who came galloping through your front gate. Have you any idea where she is?"

"I suppose you must be referring to one of my lovely daughters, Your Highness," said Argenta.

"And where might I find them?" asked Prince N.

"Here, Your Majesty," said Argenta, showing May and Dawn to the prince. "Now which one have to taken a fancy to?"

Prince N was shocked to see the same aggressive girls from the ball. He was unsure to answer.

Meanwhile, Hilda had overheard this.

"That young man is the prince," said Hilda. She was so surprised that the nice young man she had met at the ball was Prince N.


	3. Part 3

**PART III**

The next day, Wallace showed the slipper to King Steven. The king was impressed.

"So," said King Steven, "you managed to locate the girl who was dancing with the prince!"

"Indeed I have," said Wallace.

"Who the devil is she?" asked King Steven. "Where does she come from?"

"I have identified her as one of the two daughters of Argenta Pompadour," said Wallace.

"You're certain of that?" asked King Steven.

"There's no question," said Wallace. "This is the girl's shoe. She lost it when she was fleeing from the prince."

King Steven took the shoe.

"Wallace," said the king, "find this girl and her battle axe of a mother and bring her here!"

"Yes sir," said Wallace.

"Keep it a secret from the prince," said King Steven. "I'll arrange a meeting as if by accident. Then they'll fall in love, and I'll give them my consent to marry, and I'll be a grandfather!"

The two laughed.

"Well get going!" said King Steven. "Fetch her at once!" Wallace ran off.

Meanwhile, Prince N was looking out the window. Queen Cynthia was near him.

"There must be some mistake," said Prince N.

"You mean you haven't heard about it?" asked Queen Cynthia.

"I'm always the last person to hear about such things," said Prince N. "Now who's spreading these ridiculous rumors that I'm about to get married?"

"I heard it from your father," said Queen Cynthia.

"Well, I might have known!" said Prince N. "Isn't he going to give up?"

Queen Cynthia reassured him.

"He has enormous confidence that you're going to marry someone," she said.

"Can't he just leave me alone?" said Prince N.

"He wants to marry you off before the week is out," said Queen Cynthia. "He's already established a committee to prepare for the wedding."

"I don't what to do," said Prince N. "You've got to help me. You're the only one who can do it. There's got to be something to convince Father to stop interfering in my personal life! Right now, I'm fixated on the girl who I met at the ball, I think I've lost my senses."

"But you don't know the first thing about her," said Queen Cynthia.

"Does it really matter?" asked Prince N.

"My son," said Queen Cynthia, "you're the heir to the throne..."

Prince N started dancing with his mother.

"Maybe she is a figment of my imagination," said Prince N, "When she taught me how to dance, things changed for me!"

"I see," said Queen Cynthia. "You used to be a clumsy dancer!"

"Right," said Prince N, "and she left in a rush without telling me her name!"

"You're in love with her, aren't you?" asked Queen Cynthia.

Cut to an imagine spot with N and Hilda dancing.

"I feel like I've known you forever," said Prince N, "but I still don't know you rname."

"I'm called Hilda," said Hilda.

"Hilda!" said Prince N. "Why, that's a lovely name! How is it that you've never been to the palace? I'm sure I've never met a girl as delightful and lovely as you. I think I can dance with you forever. I want to know everything about you! How strange - I've just met you and I feel like I've known you all my life!"

Then the spot was interrupted.

"Hilda," said Hilbert.

Cut back to the kitchen where Hilda was dreaming.

"You've been drifting off ever since you went to the ball," said Hilbert. "You're going to get in trouble again!"

"Tell us, Hilda," said Bianca, "what happened at the palace?"

"Nothing remarkable," said Hilda. "I just taught a young man how to dance! The prince, to be exact."

"The prince?" said Bianca.

"You've got to be joking!" said Hilbert. "You taught the prince how to dance?"

"Yes," said Hilda. "I know it's difficult to believe, but he even turned to me and asked me what my name was."

"What then?" asked the Pidove.

"I ran away," said Hilda. "I didn't know what to do. After all, what would he say if I told him my gown came from the branches of a tree?"

"But he only asked your name, not your family history," said Hilbert.

"You could have answered him simply by saying 'My name's Hilda'," said Bianca.

"I suppose I was afraid," said Hilda, "but when I replay it in my mind, I gladly answer every time! I wish I told him that my name's Hilda!"

But little did she know, Argenta was spying on her.

"I know, Hilda," said Hilbert, "you're lovesick. You've got to get back to the palace and tell the prince how you feel. Of course, if this sickness worsens, there's only one thing...you should marry."

Later, Argenta got a visit from Wallace.

"Your visit makes me giddy!" said Argenta.

"The thing is," said Wallace, "the king wants you and the young lady in question to come to the palace!"

Argenta nearly fainted.

"You are giddy, aren't you, Madame Pompadour?" said Wallace.

"Just a bit faint," said Argenta.

"It's a matter of delicacy," said Wallace. "The king is arranging a marriage between the prince and one of your daughters."

"It's just so exciting," said Argenta. "The idea of my daughter marrying the prince. That means she'll be queen one day!"

"You'll still see her from time to time," said Wallace.

"I'm willing to make sacrifices for the good of the kingdom," said Argenta. She called out for May and Dawn. "Girls! Get in here!"

Argenta looked to Wallace.

"I'll have them ready in a moment," said Argenta. "I know you're in a hurry."

"Now which one will come?" said Wallace. "This is a pretty civilized country, though: he can't marry both."

"Oh, how silly of me!" said Argenta. "Now, which one of my naughty little girls captured the prince's heart?"

"I must admit it's me," said May and Dawn in unison.

Argenta, May, and Dawn got ready. They put on their finest clothes and went to the carriage. The carriage left. Hilda looked on.

"That was such a splendid carriage that picked them up," said Hilda, "I wonder where they're off to."

"All that matters is that you're rid of them," said Bianca. "This will be your big chance to go to the palace!"

"This is the opportunity you've been waiting for," said Hilbert.

But then, Argenta, who was in her carriage, asked to stop.

"I forgot something at home," she said.

"Mind if we turn around?" said Wallace.

"No," said Argenta. "Just stop it. I'll walk over."

Back at home, the Pidove asked the tree to shake the dress out.

"Of course!" said the tree. "I can get the dress out!"

"Thank you, Mr. Tree!" said Hilbert. "I'm very grateful for your help."

"Don't thank me," said the tree, "I'm as fond of Hilda as everyone else."

"Everyone but her stepmother and stepsisters," said Hilbert.

The tree shook out the dress and the remaining slipper and necklace. Hilda took it.

"Come on, Hilda!" said Hilbert. "Hurry up and change! I'm sure the prince is just waiting for you!"

Hilda ran inside with the dress.

But then they saw something terrible. It was Argenta. She had a stern look on her face.

"Stepmother!" said Bianca.

Hilbert and Bianca quickly flew away. Argenta grabbed Hilda by the wrist.

"I'd almost think you were unhappy to see me," said Argenta. She snatched the dress from Hilda. "Goodness, what a pretty dress! Wherever did you get it? What are you up to, Hilda?"

"Please, Stepmother," said Hilda, "that dress doesn't belong to you. Give it back!"

"You're making me very cross," said Argenta. She began to take Hilda out. "If I were you, I'd be worried about myself and not about this dress!"

Argenta took Hilda upstairs.

"Please," said Hilda, "what are you going to do to me?"

"I haven't quite decided yet," said Argenta, "but I'll have plenty of time to think of something later! In the meantime you can keep yourself company in here!" She opened the door to the store room and threw Hilda in there. Then she closed the door and locked it.

"Don't! Please!" said Hilda. "Stepmother, please let me out! Open the door! Oh, please! Open the door!" Hilda was on the verge of crying. But Argenta just went downstairs and pretended not to hear Hilda's cries.

Before long, Hilda heard a banging noise. She was curious as to what it was.

"What could that noise be?" she asked herself.

When Hilda went to the window, she looked outside and saw something incredibly horrible. Her cruel stepmother was ordering a woodsman to chop down her magical tree!

"GET ON WITH IT! CAN'T YOU GO ANY FASTER?"

"No! What are you doing?" said Hilda. "Stop it! Stop it please! Don't! Please, woodsman, spare that tree! Please! You have no right..."

Later, after the tree was chopped down, Chuck (the woodsman) watched over the window. Hilbert and Bianca flew to the top room window and went inside. They saw Hilda lying against a chest. She was crying.

"Hilda!" said Hilbert. "Please stop crying!"

"I can't help it," cried Hilda. "What an awful thing to do! Why on earth would he want to chop down that wonderful tree?"

"Your spiteful stepmother made Chuck do it," said Hilbert. "She wanted to make sure that you never got another pretty dress to wear to the palace."

"That means that it's all my fault that that beautiful tree was chopped down," said Hilda. "All my fault!"

"Now don't be silly, Hilda," said Bianca. "You mustn't blame youself. You couldn't foresee what would happen."

"It's awful, I know," said Hilbert, "but what's done is done! The important thing now is getting you out of here before your stepmother comes back again!"

"Oh, it's no use," cried Hilda. "She has the woodsman watching my window! There's no way to escape!"

"Now, now," said Bianca. "None of that kind of talk. We're here with you. We'll think of something!"

"Bianca's right," said Hilbert. "You're stepmother isn't the only one with powerful friends. We have allies in every field and forest for miles around. They'll come and help when we give them the word!"

Hilda stopped crying and smiled. There was hope after all!


	4. Part 4

_**A/N: **The final chapter! I added a little justice for the stepmother._

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**PART IV**

At the palace, King Steven was frustrated that Wallace had bought two girls to the palace instead of just one.

"What?" he said. "You insufferable nitwit, what have you done? You can't expect him to marry both of them! I'm looking to find only one wife for my son, not an entire harem, you nincompoop!"

"I'm sorry, your majesty," said Wallace while the king was pinning him to the wall. "I was put in a most awkward position since both young ladies claimed to be the girl who was dancing with the prince."

"And which one is it?" said King Steven.

"How am I supposed to know?" said Wallace. "Why don't you ask them yourself?"

"What am I supposed to do?" said King Steven. "You'll have to choose one of them."

"You want me to choose?" asked Wallace.

"Yes," said King Steven. "And if the prince isn't happy with your choice, I'll have you locked in the dungeon!"

Wallace went up to Argenta, May, and Dawn, who were waiting with bored looks on their faces.

"I'll just have them try on the shoe that I found," said Wallace.

"Shoe?" said King Steven.

"Yes," said Wallace, "I'll have them both try on the shoe and whichever one fits will be the bride!"

"Don't be hasty!" said King Steven.

"You still have it, right?" asked Wallace.

"Yes," said King Steven. "I have it. It didn't fit me at all."

"Do you know where it is?" asked Wallace.

"No," said King Steven. "Do you expect me to know where every shoe in the kingdom is?"

Prince N and Queen Cynthia overheard this.

"We must do something," said Prince N. "If we don't, Father will force me to marry one of those horrible girls!"

Meanwhile, Hilbert and Bianca flew to the window of the room that Hilda was trapped in. They had brought some Rattata.

"We're back," Bianca told two of the other Pidove. "And we bought some friends who can chew open the window!"

The pair of Rattata chewed open the panel of the window.

"Can you have them chew more quietly?" asked Hilda. "They might catch the woodsman's attention!"

"We already did," said Bianca. "But he's confused. He thinks we're probably building a nest up here."

"Oh do be quiet!" said Hilda. "There's no time to laugh! We've got to be careful!"

At the palace, Wallace was looking for the shoe. He looked through the drawers and under the tables. But he couldn't find it. He accidentally bumped into the skirt of Queen Cynthia's orange dress. She looked at him. Wallace was startled.

"Wallace," said Queen Cynthia, "what are you doing in the king's chamber?"

"I'm on a very special mission for the king," said Wallace. "I'm sorry, but I swore to absolute and total secrecy."

"You're searching for that shoe, aren't you?" asked Queen Cynthia.

Wallace was surprised.

"Shoe? What shoe?" he asked.

"You think if you could only locate the shoe, it will solve the problem," said Queen Cynthia. "Is that it?"

"Yes," said Wallace.

"Listen, Wallace," said Queen Cynthia, "neither of those two girls is the one who danced with the prince. I know that because my son told me. I know you're my husband's loyal servant, but even if this mysterious shoe should fit one of those dreadful girls, the only reward you'll get is the king's displeasure. My husband will put you in the deepest, darkest dungeon!"

"But I've served him for many years!" said Wallace. "I don't want to end up in the dungeon!"

"You must stall for time," said Queen Cynthia. "If you ever do find that shoe, throw it away or burn it. And do not choose either girl as the prince's bride unless you want to lose your position...or your head."

Wallace was nervous about the prospect of losing is head.

"I'm quite fond of my head," he said.

Everyone was getting impatient.

"Mother, I'm bored," said May.

"When will he make up his mind?" asked Dawn.

"Be patient, girls," said Argenta. "When you become part of the royal family, you'll have to do plenty of waiting."

At Hilda's house, the Pidove looked at Chuch.

"I wish he'd stop staring at us," said Hilbert. "When does he lie down and take a nap?"

Hilda took off the panel of the window.

"It worked!" said Hilda. "I'm finally free!"

"Come on now," said Hilbert. "Are you ready for your maiden flight?"

"Yes, I'm ready whenever you are!" said Hilda.

Hilbert flew away. He gathered plenty of Pidove, as well as a pair of Unfezant. But right before they got back, Chuck spotted Hilda.

"WHAT?" he said.

Chuck ran into the house, ran upstairs, and slammed against the door. When it finally broke open, he saw Hilda jumping out the window. She fell from the house, but the bird Pokemon caught her in a net that they were carrying.

"HEY!" said Chuck. "Come back here!"

Chuck ran onto the roof and grabbed the net as the Pidove flew away.

"Distract him!" said Bianca.

The Pidove flew around Chuck, confusing him until he let go and fell into the stream.

Meanwhile, at the palace, King Steven was getting angry.

"Make your decision quickly!" he yelled.

"I'm only concerned about the prince's welfare," said Wallace.

"DO YOU EXPECT ME TO MAKE THIS DECISION ALL BY MYSELF?" yelled King Steven.

"Your Majesty," said Wallace, "I wouldn't want to make a hasty decision."

"THROW THIS MAN IN THE DUNGEON!" the king yelled, but then he noticed the golden shoe that belonged to Hilda.

"THE SHOE!" yelled the stepsisters.

May and Dawn ran over to the shoe and grabbed it from the king. They fought over it.

"Girls! Behave yourselves!" said Argenta.

"Give it to me!" said May.

"It's my shoe and you know it!" said Dawn.

But as the stepsisters were fighting, the king looked out the window and saw something in the sky. Hilda and the bird Pokemon were flying overhead. The guards and the people in the palace were observing this spectacle. Argenta looked out and she was horrified to see a young woman flying overhead.

"She's obviously a witch," said Argenta. "You must destroy her. DESTROY HER, YOU FOOL!"

"WAIT!" called out Prince N, who was standing outside. "She's not a witch. She's only my dancing teacher."

"Your son is under her spell, Your Majesty," said Argenta. "You've got to stop her."

The Pidove and Unfezant landed Hilda on the ground and got her out of the net. Prince N caught her.

Hilbert and Bianca came back with Hilda's dress from the ball, which they had found after Argenta had stolen it.

"Hilda! Hilda!" said Hilbert. "You've forgotten your gown. But don't worry - we'll be there in a moment!"

"So at last I've discovered the name of the lady who taught me to dance," said Prince N. "You'll have to promise that no matter what happens, you'll never run away from me again."

"If that's what you wish, my prince," said Hilda, "I'll stay by your side always."

Hilbert and Bianca took away Hilda's ragged dress and dressed her in the beautiful one.

May and Dawn were still trying on the golden slipper, which did not fit either of them. Wallace was nervously watching.

"Oh come on," said Dawn, "why won't this stupid thing fit?"

"That's because it doesn't belong to you, Miss Piggy Feet!" said May.

"I suppose it fits you like a glove," said Dawn.

While this was going on, Queen Cynthia walked up to the girls.

"Excuse me, please," she said, taking the golden slipper. "Well, isn't that a beautiful shoe? And I think I know just who should wear it!"

Queen Cynthia walked out to the balcony and looked down at Hilda, who was now in her ballgown.

"I believe this belongs to you!" she said. She tossed down the golden slipper. Two Pidove presented the other slipper to Hilda. Prince N put both slippers on Hilda.

"Congratulations!" said Hilbert and Bianca.

Everyone else went to look at what was going on.

"Well, well," said King Steven, looking at the commotion, "will you look at that? Bravo! Spread the news! The wedding will take place tomorrow!" Wallace was relieved to hear this. Now the king wouldn't be so angry anymore. He finally got what he wanted - a wife for his beloved son.

Argenta, May, and Dawn all looked at the festivities. They were disappointed that they didn't get to have the prince for themselves. They began to cry. Two of the Pidove flew up to Argenta and pecked at her eyes.

As the stepfamily left, King Steven and Queen Cynthia began to dance.

"We should seriously consider how many grandchildren we should have and what there names will be," said King Steven.

"Don't you think it's a little too early?" asked Queen Cynthia, laughing.

"Nonsense!" said King Steven. "Tell me what you think of Reginald. Or what about Hercules? No, that's just asking for trouble."

Hilda and Prince N continued to dance as Hilbert, Bianca, and the other Pidove looked on.

The following day, Hilda and Prince N were married. The King and Queen would have many grandchildren, and that's as how it should be, for as the years passed, Hilda and Prince N fell more deeply in love then they had imagined possible, so it's only natural to say that they lived happily ever after.

**THE END**

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